A week into June, Arnav had a surprise visit from Sheetal. Ever since his appointment at Magnolia, she had been travelling and hadn't contacted him much baring a text here and there.
"Sheetal, surprised to see you here,"" he commented as she sat on the small couch of his office cabin.
"Just checking in,"" she said with a sly smile.
"Just checking in?"" Arnav raised an eyebrow. He knew Sheetal well enough to know that she wouldn't do anything without a motive. If she travelled back to India, he knew she must be here for a reason.
A laugh erupted from her, "Always so intuitive.""
"Why are you really here?"" he asked getting straight to the point.
"I heard some disturbing development through the grapevine,"" she remarked, "About you and Khushi, that you guys are bonding. You've been to lunches and gone out for drinks. And your cousin is engaged to her cousin.""
"You are spying me on?"" he asked poker faced.
"I always have an eye on her,"" she stated, "It worries me a little that you're fraternizing with the enemy.""
"The enemy?"" Arnav let out a dry laugh, "This is a professional take-over Sheetal, not a Shakespearean play. You can lay off the dramatics. You travelled all the way from New York to ask me if Khushi and I are friends? You should've called. It would have saved you a trip.""
"So is it true then? Are you friends?"" she phrased her question in a sweet tone but it wasn't able to mask the disdain.
"That's none of your concern,"" he answered stiffly, "Your concern should be limited to our deal and the deal is that in the next board meeting I'll vote for you and you'll sell me this company. Are we clear?""
"I was only making sure that you haven't lost sight of the goal. In case you don't want to go ahead, you can back out. I'll be able to find another financier who'll buy this crap,"" her words were laced with venom when she referred to Magnolia as crap.
He studied her for a minute before answering, "You may be the group MD and I the company MD but I am not your employee or subordinate- a fact that you seem to have forgotten. I don't appreciate being spied on or having my intentions doubted.""
"I was just-,"" she started to clarify, sensing his anger when he interrupted, "I run a billion dollar business empire. I don't take kindly to people who try to rattle me.""
"Arnav,"" she laughed nervously, "It seems I offended you. I am sorry. I know you are a professional. That is one of the reasons why I came to you.""
"If that is all,"" he said flipping a file, "I would like to get back to work.""
She stood up, "I'll take your leave then. Bye.""
He gave a slight nod and she left without saying another word.
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Khushi twirled her fork in the spaghetti bowl and sighed. She was eating lunch in her office today. That way she'd save time. She worked everyday, even on weekends yet somehow it felt that it was never-ending. A major part of her time was consumed by these new expansion plans. She was excited about Magnolia's future but, sometimes, she wanted a break. She couldn't even recall the last time she went on a week long vacation.
Along with the wish of a vacation, she wanted more time to talk to her stranger. She would text him sometime while commuting from work to home. But that was about it. She wanted to sit in her cushy sofa, with a cup of steaming coffee and talk to him without any interference.
A part of her was scared that if she remained so irregular in texting, maybe he'd stop interacting with her. No! She couldn't let that happen. Just a week ago, over drink, she had (of all people on this Earth) told Arnav that she was in a "complicated" situation with some guy. She did like her stranger and she knew she didn't want their small chats to stop.
Setting aside her untouched bowl of pasta, she took out her personal iPhone from her handbag and typed.
(Wednesday, June 7)
-Khushi- 2:13pm || Hi. I am so sorry for being MIA these past few days. I had a bulk load of work to deal with.
-Unknown- 2:15pm || I figured you'd be busy. So I didn't want to disturb you.
-Khushi- 2:15pm || You know me so well :D
-Unknown- 2:16pm || After a month of interacting with you, I can tell you are a workaholic.
-Khushi- 2:17pm || I am not. I spent my weekends talking to you and hence the lag.
-Khushi- 2:17pm || PS: has it been a month already?
-Unknown- 2:17pm || Haha. Sorry Miss Stranger for distracting you.
-Unknown- 2:18pm || PS: Yes, a month. Doesn't feel like it though.
-Khushi- 2:19pm || So what's my gift for our one-month anniversary?
-Unknown- 2:19pm || Anything that you want ;)
Khushi thought for a while. He may have said it as a joke, but she could still ask him... but what? It hit her after some time.
-Khushi- 2:22pm || How about a picture? To level the field you know. Since I've already sent you mine.
Her mind went back to the day of the dinner with Payal-Akash and Arnav. She had worn a white gown and had sent him a pic. That was a bold move from her, given that she had been out of this flirting game for a long time.
-Unknown- 2:23pm || As you wish. Give me sometime.
Khushi felt giddy in her stomach. The thought of him sending her his photo excited her. She placed her iPhone on the table and waited for it to ping.
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Arnav was going through a mix of emotions he couldn't explain. He was excited at what she had asked him to do yet he felt like a schoolboy as he walked around the corridor of his office to find a place where he could take his picture. It was silly but exhilarating at the same time.
He headed to the men's washroom on the far end of the office floor- one that wasn't used every frequently. He double-checked the 3 stalls. It was empty. Locking the main door, he stood in front of the mirror.
His held his iPhone in his right hand, pointed it at the mirror and snapped. He cropped his face out of the photo and sent it to her. The pic covered his neck till his waist. He was dressed in a lilac shirt and a black blazer.
His phone chimed at the arrival of a text.
-Unknown- 3:10pm || Playing it safe. ;)
He laughed at her response. The pic that she had sent of her was tempting. His- not so much. Still laughing, more so at what he was about to do, he took off his coat and unbuttoned his shirt till his navel. He pushed the edges aside so that his toned abs were in display.
Shaking his head at his silliness, he clicked the picture. Again cropping out his face, he sent it to her.
-Unknown- 3:15pm || Holy sh*t!
He laughed again, realizing he had been doing that for the past few minutes. That was what effect talking to her had on him- it made him happy.
-Unknown- 3:16pm || O my God!
He buttoned his shirt and put on his coat. Unlocking the door of the washroom, he exited it. Once reaching his office cabin he typed the exact line that she had sent.
-Arnav- 3:21pm || Do I look okay?
-Unknown- 3:22pm || You little minx :D
A laugh boomed in his chest. She too had replied in the exact words that he had used the night she sent her pic.
-Unknown- 3:24pm || I am feeling real guilty eating pasta for lunch after seeing those abs :D
-Arnav- 3:25pm || Haha. Hope the one-month anniversary present was satisfactory.
-Unknown- 3:26pm || O, it was.
-Unknown- 3:27pm || More than satisfactory ;)
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Khushi couldn't help but revisit the picture that her stranger had sent her earlier. She felt like a teen, looking at it and blushing. Later that night, when her phone pinged, she unlocked it thinking it to be her stranger but it wasn't.
(Wednesday, June 7)
-Payal- 10:14pm || I'm coming over next weekend. Are you free?
-Khushi- 10:15pm || When do I ever have plans on weekends? :(
-Payal- 10:16pm || Only if you had texted Mohit like I repeatedly asked you to :P
She had almost forgotten Mohit. Payal didn't know but Khushi had texted Mohit only, a month back. Somehow, maybe fortunately, she connected with her stranger. That's how it all began- with an sms to a wrong number.
-Payal- 10:18pm || Any way, Akash has made plans for the 4 of us. Keep the next Friday free- no pending work from office.
-Khushi- 10:19pm || You don't have to give me a 10-day notice. I am always free and sadly alone on Fridays.
-Khushi- 10:19pm || PS: 4 of us?
-Payal- 10:20pm || You, me, Akash and Arnav. Is that okay?
Khushi had once told Payal all about Arnav's new role and him being Sheetal's friend. Payal was already aware of Sheetal's relation with Khushi and so, she too, was cagey about Arnav. Yet, over the next few days, Khushi had let her know of the progress she and Arnav had made.
-Khushi- 10:21pm || Yes, all okay.
-Payal- 10:22pm || More than okay? ;)
Khushi scrunched her eyebrows at the implication of her cousin's text.
-Khushi- 10:22pm || What?
-Payal- 10:24pm || Akash tells me that Arnav always talks very highly of you. And you're becoming friendly with him. I was just wondering if something else was brewing... ;)
Khushi chuckled and shook her head. She hadn't told anyone, even Payal, that feelings were brewing but not for Arnav, rather for her stranger.
-Khushi- 10:26pm || Put a lid on your hyperactive imagination. Nothing is happening between us.
-Payal- 10:27pm || If you say so ;)
Khushi cringed that the winking emoticon. Payal could sometimes have weird ideas.
-Payal- 10:28pm || I'll see you soon. Goodnight.
-Khushi- 10:29pm || See you on Friday. Text me the location later. Goodnight.
She set her phone on charge and picked a blue file from the stack that she had carried home. Sitting on her couch, with her knees crossed, she mulled over Payal's text. Why would she or Akash assume that something was going on between her and Arnav?
She had started to like Arnav but just as a friend, there was nothing more to it and nothing could happen between them. Her heart had been set on her mysterious stranger.
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Shiv Shakti
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